Combined folding chair and bath-tub



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(ModeL) v SDJ; & sLA. BEACH. v I COMBINED FOLDING CHAIR AND BATH TUB. No. 308,456. Patented Nov. 25, 18.84.

WITNESSES 5 Ag @Wa Nirn rArns PATENT Orrrcn.

SCOTT J. BEACH AND SARAH A. BEACH, OF NORFOLK, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED FOLDING CHAIR AND BATH-TUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,456, date-d November 25, 1884-.

Application filed October 4, 1883. (ModeL) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Soo'r'r J. BEACH and SARAH A. BEACH, of Norfolk, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have in vented a new and Improved Combined Folding Chair and Bath-Tub, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved combined folding chair and bath-tub which can be adjusted for use as a folding chair,or as a large or small bathtub, or

as a cot.

The invention consists in various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isa perspective view of our improved combined chair and bath-tub,showing it adjusted for use as a chair. Fig. 2 is a front View of the same Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the socket-plate for receiving the keys on the upper ends of the legs. Fig. 4is a face view of a socket-plate, showing the key in place. Fig. 5 is aplan view ofthe underside of the folding chair, showing it extended and adjusted to be used as a frame for a bath-tub, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a bath-tub constructed out of the folding chair, the section shown being on .theline x m, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a smaller bath-tub. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional elevation of the side bars of the chair on the line 3 y, Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional plan view of part of the back-rest.

The chair-seat A, which can be made of fabric, leather, cane, perforated board, or any other suitable material, is secured to the side bars B.

On the inner edge of each side bar B ashort dovetailed tongue, B is secured,which projects into a longitudinal groove, C, in the sponding outer side bar, B. The back-rest side bars D are hinged at their lower ends to the inner ends of the seat side bars B, and the said back-rest side bars D are each pro vided in their innersurfaces with a longitudinal groove, D. The side bars E of the backrest extension rest against the inner surfaces of the back-rest side bars D, and are provided in their inner surfaces adj oiningthe inner surface of the side bars D with longitudinal grooves E.

On the upper end of each side bar D a short tongue, D", is formed, which projects into the corresponding groove, E, and on the lower end of each side bar E a tongue, E", is formed,

which projects into the corresponding groove, DI

To the outer surface of each back-rest side bar D a brace, F, is pivoted a short distance above the lower end, which brace has its lower edge notched at the free end, which notched free end of the brace moves in a staple, G, projecting from. the outer surface of the corresponding side bar, B, in which staple the notched edge of the brace F can catch, and thus hold the back-rest at the desired inclination. The side bars E of the back-rest extension are provided in the inner surface and at the upper ends with short dovetailed grooves adapted to receive the dovetailed ends of a curved top cross-piece, G, which holds the upper ends of the side bars E of the backrest extension in the proper position. The back-rest side bars D are united by fabric, leather, or other material, A and the sliding back-rest bars E are also united by a piece of fabric or leather, A, adapted to slide under the covering A of the back-rest side bars D.

To the inner end of each sliding side bar C a short bar, H, is hinged in such a manner that it can swing against the bottom edge of the bar C. The bar C is provided with a spring-latch, H, adapted to catch on a stud, H", projecting from the hinged bar H, for looking the said hinged bar H in position in line with the bar C, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

On the inner surfaces of the ends of the sliding extension seat side bars C, on the inner surfaces of the free ends of the hinged bars H, and on the inner surfaces of the upper ends of the backrest extension side bars E, socket-plates I are secured, which consist of a plate provided with two ridges, I, inclined toward each other laterally and from the bottom to the top, so that they form a dovetailed mortise which is larger at the lower end than at the upper end. The said plates I are of cast metal, and are provided in the outer edge of one of the ridges-I with a notch, 1. The chair is provided with three pairs of legs, J pivoted to each other.

To the upper end of each leg a plate K is fastened in such a manner that it projects beyond the end of the leg, and on the outer end edge of the said plate K a dovetailed wedgeshaped tenon, L, is formed, which fits into the socket formed by the ridges I on the plate I.

To the outer side of the plate K a springstrip, M, is fastened, the free end of which is opposite a notch, L, formed in the inner edge of the tenon L on one side of the plate K, which notch is so arranged that when the tenon is in the mortise or socket formed by the ridges I the said notch will correspond in position to the notch I of the ridge I. The outer surface of the spring M is beveled at the free end, so that when the dovetailed tenon L is pressed into the socket formed by the ridges I and the lower end of one of the ridges 1 strikes the free end of the spring M it presses the said spring inward into the notch L, and when the tenon is in the socket or mortise the free end of the spring M snaps outward and into the notch I and prevents withdrawing the tenon from the mortise or socket. If the leg is to be removed, the free end of the spring M must be pressed into the notch L to disengage the said spring from the ridge.

The bath-tub is formed of a sheet or sack, S, made of strong rubber or other water-proof fabric, which is provided atthe corner and on the longitudinal sides with loops T.

The combined bath and chair is adjusted in the following manner: If it is to be used as a chair, the ends of one pair of legs are passed into the sockets at the outer ends of the bars (l, and then the ends of another pair of legs ing pushed back to such an extent that they hinged bars Hwill project beyond the rear ends of the side bars B. Theback-rest is inclined to the desired position, and is held in this position by engaging the teeth of the bars F with the staples G. The cross-piece G is passed into the upper ends of the sliding side bars E of the back-rest, and the backrest is lengthened as much as may be desired. The seat can be lengthened more or less. It will be observed that the seat is supported at its front and rear ends, and that the joint of the back-rest will be somewhat in advance of the rearsupport of the seat.

If the device is to be used as a cot, the hinged bars H are swung down and locked in position by the spring-hook H and stud H and the sliding bars 0 are drawn outward until the short tongues C" strike against the inner ends of the tongues B,for1ned on the outer ends of the seat side bars B. The sliding bars E of the back-rest are withdrawn until their short tongues E strike against the tongues D of the back-rest side bars I). then fastened in place, one pair at the outer ends of the sliding bars E, one pair at the free ends of the bars H, and one pair at the outer ends of the sliding bars 0. A mattress, &c., can then be placed on the coverings A, A, A

and A.

If the device is to be adjusted for use as a bath-tub, it is inverted, so that the coverings AA A A rest on the floor, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The water-proof sack or sheet S is then suspended from the ends of the legs by means of the loops T, and water is poured into the pockets formed as shown in Fig. 6.

If the device is to be adjusted to form a childs bath-tub, the hinged bars H are swung against the under side of the sliding bars 0. The sliding bars 0 and E are pushed inward, so that the length of the frame will be equal to the combined lengths of the bars 13 and I), as shown in Fig. 7. One pair of legs J is held on the outer ends of the sliding bars 0, and another pair is held on the outer ends of the sliding bars E, and a small sheet or sack, S, is suspended from the upper ends of the legs, as shown.

The above-described apparatus can thus be adjusted for use as a large or small chair, a large or small cot, or a large or small bathtub, and if the legs J on the hinged bars H are removed a single large bath-tub will be formed. j

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a folding chair, the combination, with the seat side bars,said bars having rear hinged bars provided with legs,and the hinged backrest side bars, of the seat extension-bars provided with logs, the back-rest extension-bars, and coverings for the aforesaid bars, substantially as shown and dcscribed,and for the purpose set forth. v

' 2. In a folding chair, the combinatiomwith the seat sidebars B, the back-rest side bars D, and the coverings A and A, of the sliding seat side bars 0, the sliding back-rest side bars E, the coverings A and A, secured to the sliding side bars 0 and E, respectively, and the legs J, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a folding chair, the oombination,with the seat bars, sliding extension side bars hinged to theinner or rear ends,of the extension side bars,and of detachable legs connected to the front ends of the sliding side bars and to the free ends of the hinged bars, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The co1nbination,with the seat side bars B and the extension seat side bars 0, of the bars H, hinged to the inner ends of the slid- The legs are ing bars 0, and provided with legs, the springlatches H, the sockets secured to said hinged bars and to the extension seat side bars, and the supporting-legs J, fitted into said sockets, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination,with a seat-frame having an extension, and a hinged back-rest having an extension, of the legs for the support of the seat-frame and the back-rest extension, and a water-proof sheet or sack for suspension from the free ends of the legs of the chair, the chair being placed in an inverted position, thereby forming a bath-tub, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The side bar havingthe dovetailed socket or mortise, with the front'edge of one side provided with a recess or notch, in combina tion with the leg having a dovetailed tenon provided with a recess, and a bevelended spring-plate fitting at its outwardly-bent free end into the notch of the socket and retract ible into the recess of the tenon, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The side bar having the dovetailed socket or mortise II, provided on its front edge with a notch or recess, 1 in combination with the leg J, the plate K, provided at its free end with a dovetailed wedge-shaped tenon,L,ha-ving a notch, L, andof the spring M, secured to the plate K, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. The side bar provided with ridges, one of which ridges is provided on its face with a notch, said ridges being inclined laterally toward each other and from the bottom to the top, forming a dovetailed groove larger at the bottom than at the top, in combination with the leg having a tenon provided with a notch and coincidently shaped with the said groove, and the bevel-ended spring-plate applied to said leg, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SCOTT J. BEACH. SARAH A. BEACH.

\Vitnesses:

Jos. B. ELDRIDGE, LOYAL B. CowLEs. 

